Provisional (methodology v1.0). Weights and measures may change as more data is added.
Separate leagues. England, Scotland and Wales are measured differently, so a rank in one is not comparable with another. Why. England is stable; Scotland and Wales are provisional.
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Merthyr Tydfil
Ranked 13th of 21 councils in Wales: Lower middle; likely range 10th to 17th.
| Pillar | Weight | Rank | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service quality | 60% | 13 | Lower middle |
| Value for money | 20% | 15 | Lower middle |
| Financial health | 20% | 12 | Lower middle |
Service quality
Planning · ranked 1st of 21 Top quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning decisions made on time | 99.3% | 2025-26 | 1= of 21 | 94.1% |
Waste & recycling · ranked 14th of 21 Lower middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal waste reused, recycled or composted (statutory target measure) | 66.3% | 2024-25 | 14 of 21 | 70.5% |
| Residual municipal waste per dwelling | 322 kg | 2024-25 | 14 of 21 | 281 kg |
Complaints · ranked 2nd of 21 Top quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 2025-26 | 4= of 21 | 0.5 |
| Share of closed complaints with an Ombudsman intervention | 0.0% | 2025-26 | 1= of 21 | 7.7% |
Adult social care · ranked 20th of 21 Bottom quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reablement that reduced or mitigated the need for support | 35.9% | 2024-25 | 20= of 21 | 70.0% |
| Adult safeguarding enquiries completed within 7 working days | 75.6% | 2024-25 | 13 of 21 | 83.1% |
Homelessness · ranked 9th of 21 Upper middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homelessness prevented (section 66): successful prevention · Provisional | 64.0% | 2025-26 | 12 of 21 | 66.0% |
| Homelessness relieved (section 73): successfully relieved · Provisional | 25.0% | 2025-26 | 11= of 21 | 25.0% |
| Homeless people in temporary accommodation per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 2026-03-31 | 5 of 21 | 2.8 |
Value for money
Adult social care value for money · ranked 9th of 21 Upper middle
Spend measure: £1,059.95 against £1,067.12 expected for a council with the same need and results (weaker results, lower cost).
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social services spend per head | £1,059.95 | 2025-26 | – | £1,059.95 |
Waste value for money · ranked 18th of 21 Bottom quarter
Spend measure: £208.91 against £176.15 expected for a council with the same need and results (weaker results, higher cost).
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local environmental services spend per head | £208.91 | 2025-26 | – | £168.84 |
Financial health
Reserves · ranked 7th of 21 Upper middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usable reserves as a share of net cost of services · 2023-24 accounts had not been received; Audit Wales gives the 2022-23 figure | 27.0% | 2023-24 | 7= of 21 | 22.0% |
| Change in usable reserves over the year · 2023-24 accounts had not been received; Audit Wales gives the 2022-23 figure | – | 2023-24 | – | -7.0% |
Debt · ranked 15th of 21 Lower middle
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total borrowing as a share of net cost of services · 2023-24 accounts had not been received; Audit Wales gives the 2022-23 figure | 89.0% | 2023-24 | 15 of 21 | 70.0% |
Context (shown, not scored)
Council tax · ranked 20th of 21 Bottom quarter
| Measure | Value | Period | Rank | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band D council tax (county council element) | £2,186.33 | 2026-27 | 20= of 21 | £1,845.27 |
Context
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 58,362 | 2025 |
| Dwellings | 27,700 | 2025-03-31 |
| Revenue expenditure per head | £3,792.57 | 2025-26 |
| Band D council tax (county council element) | £2,186.33 | 2026-27 |
| People in income deprivation | 30.5% | WIMD 2025 |
About these results
How these rankings work. Think something is wrong, or want to add a council statement? Tell us.
- Financial health uses unaudited 2023-24 accounts, the latest Audit Wales has published for every council, so it is about two years older than the rest. Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil had not filed 2023-24 accounts, so their 2022-23 figures are used. Reserves include schools' balances, and borrowing includes borrowing for council housing and investment.
- Denbighshire is not ranked. It has returned no planning data to the Welsh Government since early 2024-25.
- There are no children's services or special educational needs measures. Adult social care is measured by reablement outcomes and how quickly safeguarding enquiries are completed; these are official statistics in development.
- Ombudsman complaint counts are small, so complaints carry half the weight of other services.